IT is reassuring to hear health officials in Oxfordshire pour cold water on claims made in a report commissioned by Breakthrough Breast Cancer that women living here receive differing levels of care, according to their age.

The charity claimed that Oxfordshire had one of the widest gaps between services offered to over-65s and under-65s diagnosed with breast cancer in the country.

However, on closer inspection, it emerged the figures the charity had based its findings on included at least three neighbouring counties and did not relate solely to Oxfordshire.

A firm statement from the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust that all women are treated fairly by its medical staff, no matter what their age, will come as a welcome boost to the many women living here fighting this terrible disease – and those whose battles lie ahead.

While we acknowledge the sterling work that Breakthrough Breast Cancer continues to undertake, the last thing patients need as they summon the strength to deal with battling cancer is unnecessary worry caused by a survey that, it would appear, has little to do with the true picture in the county.